1. 1 CIRCE and other alternative funding opportunities Miroslav Polzer Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office Ljubljana Centre for Social Innovation ZSI, Vienna / Austria

2. 2 CIRCE Cooperation in Innovation and Research with Central- and Eastern Europe

3. 3 Objectives of CIR-CE Establish and extend transnational, business-driven innovation networks (particularly SME) between Austria and Central- and Eastern Europe for the creation and implementation of innovation and for strengthening of technology transfer

4. 4 Further Objectives of CIR-CE Improvement of the innovative capabilities of companies (especially of SME) and their ability to assimilate and implement external knowledge Enhancement of the cooperative capability of companies (in particular SME); creation of sustainable cross-border innovation networks and cooperation structures

5. 5 Applicants Intermediary Organisations –Technology- and Innovation Centres, Incubators etc. –Clusters –Competence Centres –Cooperative research institutes Research institutes with a focus on technology- and knowledge transfer Companies with the role of a network-coordinator

6. 6 NETWORK-Projects and INNOVATION-Projects NETWORK-Projects (NP)Innovation-Projects (IP) Focus: Transnational network Result: Established and intensified cross-border co-operation Focus: Ambitious element of RTDI Result: Developed/optimised product, process or service

7. 7 Maximum Public Funding / maximum Duration NETWORK- Projects INNOVATION- Projects Up to 75 %Up to 45 % Up to 150.000 € Up to 400.000 € 1,5 Years3 Years Result of First Call: 40 proposals submitted 14 projects funded

8. 8 Albania Bosnia and Herzegowina Bulgaria Estonia Croatia Latvia Lithuania Mazedonia Poland Romania Serbia Montenegro Slovakia Slovenia Hungary Czeck Republic Possible Partner Countries CEE

9. 9 Example – Network-Project: ELSEPIM= Utilisation of PIM for electronics, sensors and actuators Applicant: FOTEC Forschungs- und Technologietransfer GmbH Partners: 9 SME and 1 University from Austria, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia Aim: Develop and evaluate concrete product ideas in the fields of electronics, sensors and actuators utilising the innovative technology of powder injection moulding (PIM) Realise long-term relationships between the project partners and further partners

10. 10 Example – Network-Project: ELSEPIM ctd. Results: Know-how of every partner increased Long-term relation within the network established with regard to customer-supplier-relation Joint product development Technology and know-how transfer Two technical feasibility studies carried out Follow-up innovation project defined

11. 11 Important Dates 6 December 2006: opening second call for proposals with kick-off event in Vienna 11 April 2007: Proposer’s Day 24 May 2007, 12 o’clock: deadline June 2007: Evaluation panel July 2007: announcement of projects to be funded September 2007: Kick-off meeting with future contractors

12. 12 Programme Management and Controlling BIRGIT BAUMANN E-mail: birgit.baumann@ffg.atbirgit.baumann@ffg.at Phone: *43 (0)5 77 55 – 2401 ULRIKE KAINZ-FERNÁNDEZ DE LA REGUERA E-mail: ulrike.kainz@ffg.atulrike.kainz@ffg.at Phone: *43 (0)5 77 55 – 2403 www.cir-ce.at Eine Initiative des MARTINA AMON E-mail: martina.amon@ffg.atmartina.amon@ffg.at Phone: *43 (0)5 77 55 – 2602 ROMANA BOHNENSTINGL E- mail:romana.bohnenstingl@f fg.atromana.bohnenstingl@f fg.at Phone: *43 (0)5 77 55 – 2607

13. 13 Aso-Ljubljana and Sofia Call on „Information Society in SEE countries“ Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices Ljubljana/Slovenia and Sofia/Bulgaria (ASOs) announce a Call for proposals for projects in Research Cooperation and Networking between institutions (universities and not-for-profit non-university research institutions) in Austria, the ASO countries Slovenia and Bulgaria and South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia, including Kosovo). The call wants to intensify the short-term cooperation in the scientific field of "Information Science and Society in SEE countries" with the aim to support the development of long-term scientific collaboration. Funding is provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture (bm:bwk) in the framework of its South Eastern European science cooperation initiative. This call is open to 9 February 2007 (date of post mark). http://www.aso.zsi.at/en/all/aktuelles/2069.html

14. 14 SEE-ERA.NET Pilot Joint Call for Research and Thematic Network Projects as well as Summer Schools in/with the Western Balkan Region Thematic areas: Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology: sub area “Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest and aquatic environments” Information and Communication Technologies: sub area “Applications Research” Environment: sub area “Environmental Technologies” Research projects These projects shall be conducted by a project consortium with at least three participants from three different countries and at least one of them must be from a Western Balkan country. Network projects The thematic network projects are preferably aiming at the co-ordination and co- operation of scientists in one specific scientific area based on mutual visits and small Workshops. Funding provided primarily for costs of mobility of researchers (comparable to bilateral S&T cooperation agreements), but also for events and feasibility studies Further information: http://www.see-era.net/pjchttp://www.see-era.net/pjc

15. 15 Thank you for your attention polzer@zsi.at www.aso.zsi.at